Academics

Berks celebrates history through National Engineers Week

Credit: Photo Courtesy of Theo Anderson. All Rights Reserved.

READING, Pa. — Penn State Berks is celebrating its history while preparing students for the future through National Engineers Week events and activities, to be held Feb. 18 to 22. Penn State Berks is the only college in Berks County to offer not one but two baccalaureate degrees in engineering: Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering.

Monday, Feb. 18, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., Perkins Student Center Lion’s Den
Engineering Club Collaboration
Penn State Berks Engineers Week begins with presentations from the student chapters of four engineering clubs on campus (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers & Aero Design, the Society of Women Engineers, and Women in Science and Engineering). Each club will give a 10-minute presentation. This event is open to student members of these clubs, faculty, and club advisers.

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building Lobby
Industry Showcase
Students will have the opportunity to visit display booths, meet with representatives from local engineering companies, and discuss career opportunities in the engineering field. Companies in attendance will include Carpenter Technology, Multi Dimensional Integration, Brentwood Industries, SFS Group USA, and Reading Bakery. The event is open to students, faculty, and staff of the college.

Thursday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building Lobby
Technology in Action
This event will showcase the college’s additive manufacturing through demonstrations of its 3-D printers. This event is open to the college community.

Friday, Feb. 22, 1–3 p.m., Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building, Lobby
Student Competition: Egg Drop Contest
Students will compete to package an egg in such a way that it will survive being dropped from various levels of height within the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. The competition is open to all Penn State Berks students and the college community is invited to attend.

High School Visits
Student from local high schools will visit the college from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 21–22, to learn more about the college’s engineering degree programs. The program will begin with lunch and an overview in the Thun Library, followed by a tour of engineering laboratories in the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. The day will end with the high school students participating in a problem-solving activity before departing at 2 p.m. 

About Penn State Berks
Penn State Berks offers a bachelor of science degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology and a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Penn State Berks is the only college in Berks County to offer degree programs in engineering, and all classes are taught in the college’s state-of-the-art Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. 

Building on its roots in the field of engineering, Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute (WPI) was the forerunner institution of Penn State Berks. WPI began as a training center for workers of Textile Machine Works in Reading and provided a solid background in engineering, as well as other technical fields of study. Many leaders of local industry are graduates of WPI.

For more information about the Engineers Week events, contact Robert Zambanini, coordinator of Penn State Berks Engineers Week, at 610-396-6178 or via email at raz3@psu.edu.

 

Last Updated February 19, 2019